Fastening for envelops and the like.



Patented May 26, 1914.

J. F. DE MAGEDO.

FASTBNING POR BNVBLOPS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1913.

Figi.

cnLuMBxA PLANOGRAPH cc.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH FIDELIS DE MACEDO, 0F VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

FASTENING FOR ENVELOPS AND THE LIKE.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH FIDELIs Dn Macnee, British subject, residing at Victoria, in the Province of British Columbia, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Fastening for Envelope and the like, of which the following` is a specification.

The usual mode of closing an envelop is to meisten the Hap of t-he envelop with the lips or tongue and then press it against the body of the envelop until it adheres thereto and in cases where security is desired, to seal it with sealing-wax.

The object of my invention is to produce a cheap and simple fastening by which an envelop may be securely and expeditiously closed without having recourse to the dirty practice of licking Vgum or to the dilatory and inconvenient use of sealing-Wax.

My fastening consists of two complementary members, one of them fixed to the flap of the envelop (hereinafter called the fiapmember) and the other fixed to the body of the envelop (hereinafter called the bodymember)` the former consisting of one piece or part A and the latter consisting of two pieces or parts B and C.

In the annexed drawing Figure l is a plan and Eig. 2 is a section (on the broken line X Y) of the flap-member A. Fig. 3 and Fig. l are a plan and section of the piece B one of the component parts of the body-member. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are a plan and section respectively of the fastener in its locked condition and Fig. 7 is a full sized view of the fastening as applied to an envelop.

The flap-member A (Fig. l and Fig. 2) is stamped out of thin sheet met-al 'about lmof an inch thick (3l Birmingham WV. G.) and then pressed into the shape shown in the drawing, the three wedge-shaped pro tuberances CZ Z Z being embossed and projecting sufficiently to fill the pocket into 'which the tongue will be inserted when the fastening is closed.

c e c are prongs which after first being bent perpendicular to the face of the metal are pressed through the flap of the envelop and clenched on the inner side, thus fastening the flap-member securely in its place. In the middle of the tongue J which forms the lower part of the Hap-member there is stamped a triangular catch or tooth 7L shaped like the tooth of an ordinary hand- Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 29, 1913.

Patented May 26, 1914;. Serial No. 770,75*?.

saw, and pressed perpendicular to the face of the tongue by means of a triangular punch, two of whose sides only have a cutting edge It will be observed from the drawing that the tongue J is made wide at its root m a.

The part B is a disk stamped out of a thin sheet of metal, preferably steel, in the center of which is a rectangular flap f formed by cutting three of its sides and bending it so as to project beyond the surface of the disk as shown in Fig. 4f. The part B is made just the proper size to fit into the cavity of the part C as shown in Fig. 6. The said part C is stamped out of thin sheet metal and is shaped as shown in t-he drawing, the central part being dished and having an opening m a at its upper edge equal to the width of the root of tongue J so that when the part B is xed into its place as shown in Fig. 6 a pocket is formed into which the tongue J may be inserted when the fastening is closed. rEhe part B is fixed into the concave part of C so that the spring fap f projects inwardly.

At the circumference of the part C are three prongs or lugs K K K, which having been first bent perpendicular to the face of the metal are then pressed through the three paper flaps forming the body of the envelop and are clenched on the inner side thus fastening the body-member to the envelop and a the same time holding the part B in its p ace.

The flap-member and body-member are secured to the envelop in such a position that when the envelop is closed they will register properly with each other, and that when the tongue is inserted into the slot the spring flap f will be pressed back by the catch L` and when it rebounds will securely lock the tongue in place, the protuberances Z making it impossible to insert a flat instrument to pry spring fiap f toward disk B to open the fastener. Itis thus seen that it is impossible for the tongue to be withdrawn without rupturing some part of the fastening and leaving plain indication of the envelops having been tampered with.

I claim as my invention:

A fastener for envelope, comprising a pair of interlocking members, each of which is provided with a means for attaching it to the envelop, one of the said members being attached to the closure Hap, said member consisting of a sheet metal plate provided with a depending tongue, said tongue having its sides merging to a point whereby a substantially conical member is provided having a number of Wedge shaped protuberances embossed thereon near its upper end and having a triangular shaped tooth punched from the plate of sheet metal near the lower end of the tongue, and standing out perpendicular to lowerfacel thereof the other member fastened to the body of the envelop consisting of a pocket formed offa dished member, and a sheet metal disk closing the same, said dished member having an opening for the insertion of the tongue on the lirst Vmentioned member, and said disk having a struck-up tongue standing at an angle to the said disk for cooperation with the tooth at the lower portion of the rst member.

I" JGSEPH FIDELIS DE MACEDO. Witnesses LOUIS E. DE MACEDO, FRED. D. BANKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner f Patents,

. Washington, D. C. 

